Discover Palermo's most beautiful churches!

If you ask a Palermo resident if they know the Chiesa del Gesù, they'll probably say no, because the locals know it as the Casa Professa. Built in 1564 by the Jesuits and consecrated in 1636, it is the most important example of aBaroque church in Palermo and the whole of Sicily.

The façade is simple, with a horizontal cornice dividing it into two parts: a style typical of Jesuit Baroque churches. In the lower section are three portals. Above the central portal, the largest of the three, is a statue of Our Lady of the Grotto. In the upper part are statues of Saint Ignatius and Saint Francis Xavier.

The interior, in the shape of a Latin cross, has three naves and numerous side chapels. The most remarkable part of the church, the presbytery, features a series of allegories representing the glorification of the name of Jesus.

The church of S. Maria dell'Ammiraglio was built in 1143 by King Roger II's admiral, but it is now known as Martorana because in the fifteenth century a convent of Benedictine nuns, whose founder was called Eloisa Martorana, inherited the church.

Did you know that these nuns were also responsible for inventing the martorana fruit, a typical Sicilian delicacy made from marzipan?

The current exterior shows the juxtaposition of two different styles: the Baroque additions and the square structure supported by a dome typical of the Arab-Norman style. The simple façade conceals a spectacular interior characterised by blue and gold Byzantine mosaics.

The church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti is also part of the Arab-Norman itinerary, like the church of the Martorana, and was built between 1130 and 1148 during the reign of Roger II.

Its five red outer domes on square structures are typically Islamic and, from inside the church, you can access the Arab hall which, according to some scholars, was a pre-existing mosque. In Islamic and Byzantine cultures, the square represents the earth and the circle the sky.

A visit to the garden and cloister adjoining the church, dating from the 13th century and characterised by a series of pointed arches and paired columns forming a rectangular structure, is also a must.